Accused drug dealer brought up on bail jumping charge

A Washington state man who stopped showing up for court appearances in a drug distribution case in 2020 is back behind bars and facing one count of felony bail jumping in a new case.

Jeffrey Duane Portmann, 54, of Spokane, Washington was scheduled to appear before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court on March 4, 2020 for a pretrial conference on a felony criminal distribution of dangerous drugs charge, but never appeared, according to court records. At the time, Wilson ordered a bench warrant for Portmann’s arrest with bail set at $50,000.

A little more than three years later, Portmann is back in county jail. According to Flathead County Detention Center records, Portmann was booked into the facility on April 30.

Portmann’s original distribution charge dates back to 2017. That’s when Portmann, according to court documents, sold an eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.

Investigators worked alongside an informant, who helped arrange the drug deal, to make the arrest, court documents said. Authorities communicated with Portmann via text to hammer out the details of the exchange and on April 6, 2017 an undercover officer walked into a Kalispell motel to make the purchase, according to court documents.

Investigators sent the substance bought in the deal to the Montana State Crime Lab, which confirmed it as methamphetamine, court documents said.

Portmann is expected to appear back before Wilson for his arraignment on the bail jumping charge on May 25. Bail jumping is punishable by up to 10 years in Montana State Prison.

He has a status hearing in the drug distribution case — also before Wilson — that same day.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.